Introduction

Opposites attract! This statement has never been more true than when it is applied to Chinese food. The most glorious balance of yin and yang is found in most Asian dishes. Sweet and sour, the two tastes that demonstrate this balance perfectly, are at the heart of this dish. Sourness is perfectly harnessed in rice vinegar and light soy sauce, offset and complemented by the sweetness of field mushrooms and young ginger. Although simple to make, the audience at your dinner table will be wowed by how complex this soup tastes.

Serves 4

Easy

Prep time: 5 min

Cook time: 25 min

Total time: 30 min

Ingredients

1.5l

vegetable stock

50g

field mushrooms, sliced reasonably thickly

1 tsp

dried chilli flakes

50ml

light soy sauce

75g

tinned bamboo shoots, drained

5cm

piece of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly sliced

3 cloves

of garlic, peeled and bruised

1 tbsp

granulated sugar

4 tbsp

rice or cider vinegar, according to taste

2

eggs, beaten

1 tbsp

chopped chives

Instructions

Pour the stock into a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Once it is boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and add all the other ingredients apart from the vinegar, eggs and spring onions. Simmer the broth for 8-10 minutes so that the flavours combine.

Add the vinegar a little at a time. It is up to you how sour you enjoy your soup. Continue to simmer for a further 2 minutes.

Make sure the soup is simmering, not boiling, then gently whisk the soup while slowly pouring in the egg. The soup will turn cloudy before the strands of egg cook. Gently simmer the soup for 2 minutes once all the egg has been added.

This recipe is featured in

What's it about? Gok Cooks Chinese is packed with simple, family recipes close to Gok's heart. This book makes domestic Chinese cooking accessible at home. The food is about balance, health, flavour and fun.